JET alum Foster Klug named AP News Editor in Seoul
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Thanks to Nagasaki-ken JET alum Christy Jones for passing along this item from the New York Times about fellow Nagasaki JET alum Foster Klug:
According to the article in the New York Times:
Foster Klug, a reporter who has covered U.S.-Asia relations for The Associated Press in Washington, has been named the AP’s news editor in Seoul, South Korea.
…….
Klug was the first U.S.-Asian affairs reporter on AP’s North America Desk, which is responsible for U.S. news coverage targeted for audiences outside the United States. He has written on an array of issues, including U.S. sanctions against North Korea, Washington’s currency dispute with China and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
…….
Previously, he lived for three years in rural Nagasaki, Japan, where he taught English and coached basketball at a junior high school. He is a graduate of Colby College in Waterville, Maine.
Here’s the link to the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/11/05/us/AP-US-AP-Appointments.html?hp
Jobs: Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (Tokyo)
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Request received directly from Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (Tokyo) (where notably a number of JET alums work or have worked):
Steven:
Thanks very much for your offer to help me spread the word about opportunities in The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires Tokyo bureau.
At a time when other American media are cutting back in Japan, we’re expanding. We’ve created a new Japanese language website and a new Japan RealTime blog. We’ve got a number of openings, due both to newly created positions and to vacancies. I’m biased, of course, but I think this is a uniquely incredible chance for anybody interested in Japan journalism.
We’ve recently integrated The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires bureaus here, so everybody works for both. Everyone writes for the paper, WSJ.com, and the wires. Our openings span a wide range of experience levels and subjects. We’re looking for managers, reporters, and desk editors for beats ranging from policy to markets to finance. The main criterion we have is a very strong preference for people who can report — do interviews, attend press conferences, read documents — in Japanese. That’s why I’m tapping into your network. We’ve had great success with JET alums who can work in Japanese at the highest levels.
Anybody who’s interested in finding out more can contact me at: jacob.schlesinger@wsj.com. Also, below are some specific listings, with online application links.
Best,
Japan Editor, The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires.
Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Tokyo finance reporter:
This reporter will cover finance, M&A, and broader capital market trends in one of the world’s leading economies for WSJ. The ideal candidate will have a proven track-record of scoops. Japanese fluency preferred. The Journal Tokyo bureau is integrated with Dow Jones Newswires, and this reporter will work closely with the DJN team, filing in real-time for wires and the web, as well as for the paper.
Application link: https://newscorp.taleo.net/careersection/djexternal/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=000101957
Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal Tokyo economy/economic policy reporter:
This reporter will join our economics team, covering economic reports, and fiscal and monetary policy. The ideal candidate will have some background and knowledge of the subject and some journalism experience. Japanese fluency preferred. The job will involve the full spectrum of news reporting: flashing headlines and filing stories in real-time for Newswires and WSJ.com, as well as writing news and feature stories for the newspaper.
Application link: https://newscorp.taleo.net/careersection/djexternal/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=000102065
Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal Tokyo markets reporter
This reporter will write about all aspects of the Tokyo shares market, including blue chips and companies in the news, derivatives, and the Nikkei 225 Stock Average. The main responsibility will be giving investment professionals real-time, comprehensive intelligence on the Tokyo stock market, via Market Talk. One of Newswires’ most popular services, Market Talk provides readers with a constant stream of short, analytical items on newsworthy market events–the stock reporter can expect to do several of these items an hour while the exchange is open. This person will also write longer stories on key market developments and trends. Many of the reporter’s stories will be published online at WSJ.com and by the Wall Street Journal. Experience with financial journalism, and specific experience covering markets preferred. Knowledge of Japanese is essential.
Application link:https://newscorp.taleo.net/careersection/djexternal/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=000102356
Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal Tokyo deputy bureau chief, money/policy:
As deputy Tokyo bureau chief for money/policy in the integrated DJN/WSJ office, this person will run coverage of the Japanese economy and economic policy, managing a group of reporters following the Bank of Japan, the Ministry of Finance, the Prime Minister’s office, and the Diet. S/he will craft ideas and edit/file stories, from flashing headlines and real-time fills for Newswires and WSJ.com, to handling news and feature stories for the newspaper. We’re looking in particular for a candidate with a proven track record of breaking market-moving news and analysis in these crucial areas. This manager will also be responsible for mentoring the team, helping develop further their reporting and writing skills. Japanese fluency strongly preferred.
Application link: https://newscorp.taleo.net/careersection/djexternal/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=000101681
Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal Tokyo copy editor:
The Dow Jones Newswires/Wall Street Journal Tokyo bureau is seeking a copy editor to join our news desk. The ideal candidate will have the right mix of experience in the field of journalism, knowledge of financial markets, and Japanese language ability. More importantly, we’re looking for someone who has a keen attention to detail, a knack for tracking down the top news of the day, and skill at multitasking. We’d like an editor who can turn an ordinary news article into the extraordinary on an extremely tight deadline. This position would be perfect for an experienced veteran or someone looking to gain a foothold in the fast-paced world of financial journalism.
Application link: https://newscorp.taleo.net/careersection/djexternal/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job=000102135
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WIT Life #135: Marathon mania
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WITLife is a periodic series written by professional Writer/Interpreter/Translator Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03). She starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she shares some of the interesting tidbits and trends together with her own observations.
We are in the heart of marathon season, a favorite time of year for runners such as myself. I have to admit that I love the sport enough to attempt to do two marathons in a row, the Marine Corps Marathon in DC last weekend and the NYC Marathon this weekend. It will be a first but hopefully my body is up to the challenge!
The running culture has always been huge in Japan, and with the establishment of the Tokyo Marathon in 2007 the number of runners further swelled. Although I have gotten into the marathon every year since its start (and run all but one), most of my Japanese friends Read More
Hokkaido JET Annual Musical Production Tradition Continues
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Snow, Sea and Song
Hokkaido’s hills are alive with the sound of music, thanks to the efforts of its ALTs
By Caroline Cronshaw (Hokkaido, 2006-09) – Caroline is an amateur illustrator and instructor at the University New Brunswick in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. She has painted and designed posters for the HAJET Hokkaido Players’ productions for the past four years, and is currently working 2011’s poster as of this article. Her work can be seen at http://carrie-ko.deviantart.com.
Whether they choose to go to Hokkaido or not, several hundred new JET participants, some of whom have never seen a snowflake before in their lives, come to live on the northernmost island in the Japanese archipelago each year.
Hokkaido, with its vast tracts of wilderness and ghostly former coal mining towns, can cause even the most steadfast and Canadian of JETs to surrender to homesickness and cabin fever during its long and snowy winters. It’s those same cold and white expanses that probably inspired the Ainu peoples to come up with place names like Shiretoko – ‘the ends of the earth’. Indeed, it’s not easy being a homesick alien living in a half-buried BOE-owned hut in midwinter.
Thankfully, however, the ALTs of Hokkaido have come up with an unusual cure for the winter blues: musical theatre.
Since the mid-1990s, denizens of many Hokkaido communities have been witness to a mysterious caravan of vans and cars rumbling into town on a Friday night and parking in front of a local community centre or temple. These vehicles, laden with wooden planks and props, belong to none other than the members of the HAJET Hokkaido Players, an amateur theatre troupe comprised of JET participants from across the island. While some members do have experience in acting or stage production, there is no requirement except dedication and the desire to help bring international understanding to the people of Hokkaido. The troupe is partly administered by HAJET, the Hokkaido AJET chapter, and is entirely non-profit. If there is money left over or gained from performances, most of it is used to sponsor the Hokkaido English Challenge, an annual non-profit English-language summer camp program also organized by HAJET. The rest of the profit is saved for next year’s show.
Among the various Broadway staples the HAJET Hokkaido Players have performed are such familiar titles as West Side Story, Annie, Peter Pan, Oklahoma!, and Guys and Dolls. They also on occasion perform original works, such as 2009’s Alice in Japan, originally written by ALTs in Niigata. This year’s production will be an original play based on The Jungle Book (the Kipling novel, not the Disney adaptation). According to the Players’ current director, Melissa Golden, the production will incorporate elements of Bollywood cinema and traditional Indian costume, as well as make use of Lion King-style animal masks.
The Players start planning their productions early in the year, around the end of August when the newbies first arrive from overseas. Recruitment is usually done around early to mid September during the various welcome parties (with an island that big, you’d need to have several parties), and the first rehearsal is typically scheduled for later in the month or in early October. From that point onward, it’s full speed ahead, and anyone who can’t commit will be left in the dust. Despite the subject, it’s serious business.
Depending on the show and the wishes of the director, the English script is augmented with either lines in Japanese, framed scene-by-scene with Japanese narration, or both. This is to help audience members without English proficiency or previous knowledge of the play to understand what is going on. The Players also do their research in more pop culture-related subjects Read More
JET ROI: JET alum op-ed in Asahi Shimbun – The JET Program is a ‘triumph of soft power’
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Jim Gannon
The below op-ed titled “POINT OF VIEW: The JET Program is a ‘triumph of soft power’” appeared in the November 5, 2010 edition of the Asahi Shimbun. It was written by three JET alumni with expertise in Japan-U.S. policy and relations:
- James Gannon (Ehime-ken, 1992-94) – Executive Director of the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA) and author of the “Chopping Block” article.
- Michael Auslin – Director of Japan Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.
- Paige Cottingham-Streater – Deputy Executive Director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation.
(Here’s the link for the original article on the Asahi Shimbun website: http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201011040234.html)
POINT OF VIEW: The JET Program is a ‘triumph of soft power’
Michael Auslin
In its 23 years, the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program has brought more than 50,000 young foreigners to Japan, including over 25,000 Americans, to teach in the school system as well as to support international exchange activities.
Each of us grew to know Japan through our participation in the JET Program, and this experience has changed the direction of our careers and enriched our lives.
In fact, the JET Program has touched the lives of so many people who might otherwise not be exposed to Japanese society that it is regarded by many outside of Japan as the most successful public diplomacy initiative in the world over the last several decades.
Paige Cottingham-Streater
Therefore, we were especially dismayed to learn that it has been criticized in the last round of the budget screening process.
Since it was launched at the height of Japan-bashing in the late 1980s, the JET Program has produced an extraordinary legacy.
On the one hand, we would like to think that it has been beneficial for Japanese students and communities. We have heard many stories about how students’ personal interactions in the classroom with JET participants have made English into a “living language” for them and helped motivate them to use English for communication rather than just as an exam topic.
We get the sense that, in our globalizing world, even students who never mastered English have benefited from their interactions with JET participants from countries they may never have thought much about before.
The JET Program’s least recognized contribution, however, may be its most important. This is the remarkable success it has had as a public diplomacy program. By exposing thousands of young professionals to Japanese society, it has built up deep person-to-person ties between Japanese people and an entire generation of non-Japanese from around the world.
In our country, the United States, the impact of this program on U.S.-Japan relations is quite extraordinary. It is no exaggeration to say that it has become an important pillar of the bilateral relationship.
As they grow older, former JET participants have started to take important posts in government, business, and civil society, bringing their personal networks and a deep appreciation of the importance of strong U.S.-Japan relations to their everyday work.
In the U.S. government, for example, JET participants have worked on the frontlines of U.S.-Asia relations in the White House, the State Department and other agencies. Two JET alumni even ran for the U.S. Congress–Rob Cornilles, who ran on the Republican ticket in Oregon, and Dan Seals, a Democrat from Illinois.
Similarly, when one looks at the emerging generation of Japan experts in American academic circles and think tanks, it appears that the majority are graduates of the JET Program, many of whom may have otherwise taken a very different direction in their studies and careers.
This is true of the grassroots organizations that sustain U.S.-Japan relations, too. At least 4 of the 40 Japan-America Societies in the United States are headed by former JET participants.
In evaluating the contributions of the JET Program, it is important to keep in mind the role it is playing in strengthening the foundations of Japan’s engagement with the rest of the world and the world’s engagement with Japan. People who are immersed in Japanese communities tend to develop a lifelong connection to Japan, and we are just starting to reap the rewards of this far-sighted program.
In our rapidly changing world, where it is critical for countries to project an active global presence and where a robust U.S.-Japan partnership on a wide range of issues has become even more important, the connections built by the JET Program are an invaluable asset.
The JET Program has been a triumph of soft power. We are so grateful for the opportunity that has given us and believe that continuing the JET Program–and further strengthening it–is important for Japan and all of its friends around the world.
JETAA Sydney Spring 2010 Newsletter “JET Journeys”
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This just in from JETAA Sydney:
“The Spring 2010 edition of JET Journeys is hot off the press! You can read all about what’s been going on with JETAA in Sydney and internationally, and what is coming up in the next few months. CLICK HERE to download the newsletter (PDF).” (http://sydneyjetaa.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=074f1003f7e0dbeb3de9861cc&id=847c5766bb&e=876d85e269)
FoxHound87: Now is the Fall of My Discontent…
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
I am a Floridian. Last winter, in my hometown, the temperature dipped below 32 for 14 days straight. This was a record. However, following this freak cold snap, the temperature returned to normalcy (normalcy = a bit nippy).
Japan is known (and proud) of their 4 distinct seasons. Summers are hot, Fall and Spring are pleasant, and Winter is cold. As Fall continues, the temperature gets lower and lower. Japan doesn’t get cold fronts like Florida. It just gets cold. I am slowly coping with the idea that my legs will be imprisoned in long pants until April or May.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
No JETs in Congress this term – Seals, Cornilles both lose in close races
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JET alumni Dan Seals (Democrat-Illinois) and Rob Cornilles (Republican-Oregon) both lost their bids for a Congressional seat. Had either of them won, they would have been the first JET alums in the U.S. Congress.
In Illinois’ 10th district, Robert Dold defeated Seals by a 51% to 49% margin, winning 103,274 votes to Seals’ 98,882 votes. And in Oregon’s 1st district, incumbent Democrat David Wu won a seventh term in Congress with 54% of the vote to Cornilles’ 42%.
Isshokenmei ganbarimashita. Minnasan o-tsukare sama deshita.
JETwit Diary 11.02.10
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JETwit Diary is a new feature by Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94), founder and publisher of JETwit.
It’s time to re-connect with JET alum readers.
Sure, I connect with JET alums all the time. At JETAANY events, meetings and conferences as well as in exchanges with numerous alums around the world via e-mail, Facebook, LinkedIn, the JETwit Jobs Google Group, etc.
But when I was the Editor for JETAANY Quarterly Newsletter (now “JQ“), I not only wrote a “Letter from the Editor” each issue. I also wrote the “JETAANY Society Page” (under the pen name “Yoku Shitteiru” for those who remember) which was extremely enjoyable and satisfying, albeit rather labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Additionally, when I first created the Writers Interpreters Translators (WIT) Group (which eventually evolved into the JetWit site), for several months I wrote a weekly email update in which I shared various accomplishments and activities of members and also wrote introductions about new members. I remember greatly enjoying the process of gathering and sharing thoughts, information and ideas as well as trends and patterns that I observed. And it was that process that led to the “JET Alumni Author Showcase.”
However, the need to manage the JetWit site (which is all done in my spare time) plus my recent induction into fatherhood have limited my ability to spend time actually writing. Today I still communicate with the JET and JET alum community via JetWit, but I recognize that there’s an indirect quality to it. I spend time recruiting others to write and provide structure and perspective for their contributions. So in that sense I communicate through their voices and through the decisions I make on what content to post.
As a result, a number of conversations, interactions, thoughts and other things that happen along the way don’t get mentioned, such as:
- The pleasant e-mail exchanges that occur as people respond to the JET-Sister City List Project I set up earlier this week. For example, it turns out that Hokkaido JETs put on a huge musical productions every year. And the person who told me about it asked if she could write something for JetWit about it. (Answer: Mochiron!) I love hearing about things like this. And I love even more being able to let the rest of the JET alum community know that things like this exist.
- That a news reporter is working on a story about JET alum Dan Seals, who is running for Mark Kirk’s vacated seat in Illinois and has a good chance to become the first JET alum to hold a seat in Congress. Notably, two other JET alums have run for Congress this year: Rob Cornilles who faces a tough incumbent in Oregon, and David Boling who lost in the primary in Arkansas.
- The good work being done by Byron Nagy with the JETAA Tokyo chapter, which is very focused on service and volunteer activities and is also doing a terrific job of bringing people together and assisting with networking and job hunting.
- Ideas I haven’t had time to put into action yet, including a JET alum storytelling event modeled on The Moth Storytelling Hour, an annual award recognizing JET alums who have given back to Japan and a JET essay compilation focusing on the themes of cooking and being alone.
- Efforts by several JET alums to generate more pro-JET press coverage in the media, particularly in the Japanese language media.
I realize that I’ve missed having the opportunity to write, synthesize some thoughts, share information and share perspectives that come to me in the course of my work with JetWit as well as in the course of my role with JETAANY.
As a result, going forward I’m going to attempt to write periodic JETwit Diary entries that capture some of what’s going on that doesn’t fit on the site in other forms. Just as I tell other JETwit writers, this is all one big experiment. So let’s try it out, see what we learn along the way and we’ll take it from there. Because in the end, it’s all about the journey.
Ganbarimasu and yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Steven Horowitz (Aichi-ken, 1992-94)
Brooklyn, NY
Steven is available on a consulting basis to assist organizations with any writing, communications, community building, membership retention and creative marketing needs.
By Tuesday night, we should know whether the U.S. Congress will have its first JET alum member. Or possibly even members.
Dan Seals is running as a Democrat in Illinois’ 10th district for the seat vacated by Mark Kirk (who is running for the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama). And Seals led Republican nominee Robert Dold by as much as 12 points according to a poll in early October. Though now the race is considered very tight. This is Seals’ third time running for the seat, which he narrowly lost last year to Mark Kirk.
And Rob Cornilles is running on the Republican ticket in Oregon’s 1st district against Democratic incumbent David Wu. There the race is also tight, though Wu as the incumbent is apparently considered to have a slight advantage.
Ganbatte!
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Snorlax87: English Festival!
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Joshua Small is a First Year JET currently living in Ikaruga-cho, Nara-ken and has been chronicling his experience on his blog Snorlax87.
I gave up one of my Saturdays to help out an English festival last weekend.
Morning: I arrived at the high school near Yaginishiguchi (say that 5 times fast) station a little late for the festival. Luckily, one of the judges was also late, so everyone overlooked my indiscretion. The morning was reserved for the 61st Nara Inter-High School Speech Competition (a real mouthful). This time, I got to lay back and just listen to the speeches. Other Nara ALTs were judges along with the same guy from the Nara Board of Education. A student from my school was competing, so I felt somewhat obligated to attend and cheer her on.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post.
http://snorlax87.blogspot.com/
